Articles by Jennifer Robertson

Serves 4 – 30mins

The promise of Chicken Schnitzel can work as a bargaining tool with my kids(more often than not chips are also included). They are pretty easy to make and can be made in advance and left in the fridge until ready to fry, and are brilliant in sandwiches the next day.

Ingredients

2 large or 3 small chicken breasts
2 eggs beaten with splash of milk added
150-200gms of breadcrumbs(about 2 cups – I prefer to use Panko Breadcrumbs as they make the schnitzel very crispy)
2 tbsp of Italian seasoning or mixed herbs
1/2 tsp of Garlic salt
1 tsp smoked Paprika
1 cup of grated Parmesan Cheese( I buy the ready grated bag from supermarket)
Salt and Pepper for seasoning
3 tbln Oil for frying

Method

Step One

Put the chicken breast between 2 pieces of clingfilm and using a meat mallet or rolling pin pound the chicken breast until flat(be careful not to pound too much). Cut the schnitzel into portions

Step Two

Put the egg into a large shallow bowl( I use Ikea pasta bowls) and loosely beat – add a splash of milk just to loosen further

Step Three

Into another large shallow bowl add the all the other dry ingredients and mix

Step Four

Take the flattened chicken breast and dip into the egg mixture, allow excess to run off before placing in breadcrumb mixture and pat down to ensure that all parts of chicken is covered with mixture. Remove from mixture and place on plate to be put in the fridge until you are ready to fry the chicken.

Step Five

Heat about 2 tbsp of oil in large frying pan and add chicken – do not overcrowd the pan as this will mean that the chicken will not go crispy – you may need to keep topping up the oil as you go. Once the chicken is cooked remove from pan onto paper towel to drain excess oil and then keep warm until serving ( I usually put the oven on about 160 degrees to keep the chicken warm as I cook).

Tips

When I have time I serve with made chips but if not out salad is always a good family option to serve with this dish.

Serves 4 – 45 mins

This Beef Goulash is adapted from one of Delia Smith’s recipes, it is probably not the most authentic Goulash but is a great stew to make for your family if you are busy and need something to stick in the oven for a few hours minding its own business.

INGREDIENTS – SERVES 4/5

1 kg of beef chuck steak cut into 4 cm cubes
2 tbsp olive oil
2 red peppers/capsicum sliced
3 large onions peeled and chopped
1 tbsp of sweet smoked paprika
1 tbsp hot smoked paprika (plus a little bit more to sprinkle at the end to be pretty)
2 cloves of garlic crushed (or 1 tbsp from the jar)
2 tbsp of plain flour
3 bay leaves
640gms of tinned tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
sour cream to serve

METHOD

Step One

Begin by heating the oil in the casserole over a medium-high heat until it is sizzling hot. Then brown the cubes of beef on all sides, cooking a few at a time. They need to be a good, deep nutty brown colour. As they brown, transfer them to a plate, using a draining spoon

Step Two

Turn the heat down to medium, stir in the onions and cook them for about 5 minutes, or until they begin to brown and caramelise at the edges. Then stir in the garlic.

Step Three

Return the meat to the casserole, sprinkle in the flour and pimentón and give everything a stir to soak up the juices. Now, add the bay leaves and the contents of both tins of tomatoes, and season well with salt and freshly milled black pepper.

Step Four

Let it all come slowly up to simmering point. Then cover the casserole with a tight-fitting lid and transfer it to the middle shelf of the oven to cook very slowly for about 2 hours.

Step Five

Prepare the peppers/capsicum by halving them, removing the seeds and pith and cutting the flesh into strips roughly measuring 1 x 2 inches (2 x 5 cm). Then, when the 2 hours are up, stir the chopped peppers/capsicum into the goulash, replace the lid and cook for a further 30 minutes

Step Six

Just before serving, take the casserole out of the oven, let it stand for 5 minutes, then stir in the soured cream to give a lovely marbled, creamy effect.

Step Seven

Finally, sprinkle over a little more pimentón, and serve straight from the casserole.

Tips

I serve this with fluffy white rice, but you could also serve with mashed potatoes or thick noodles.